Sabrina Maneca-Voinea is taking it back to the judges table.
Days after Team USA gymnast Jordan Chiles submitted a successful inquiry about her score in the women's floor exercise at the 2024 Paris Olympics that ultimately landed her the bronze medal, the Romanian Olympic Committee has appealed Sabrina's final score in the Aug. 5 event, according to a social media post.
The 17-year-old was given a 0.1 deduction for stepping out of bounds during her routine, resulting in a final score of 13.700. However, replays seemingly showed her heel remaining inbounds.
President of the Romanian Olympic Committee Mihai Covaliu, however, urged the International Gymnastics Federation—the official body behind the gymnastics competitions—to reconsider Sabrina's scoring, explaining than an initial challenge had been rejected.
"The way in which the score was assessed and the refusal to present the full reasons/proofs for the rejection of the appeal submitted within the time limit set by the rules seriously harms the image of international gymnastics," he said in an Aug. 6 Facebook post, "but in particular affects the athlete, even jeopardizing their mental health."
Sabrina and her fellow teammate Ana Barbosu were left to deal with the repercussions of the floor exercise scoring after they'd both finished with matching scores of 13.700, but because Ana had a higher execution score, she placed higher and by the end of the competition was in the bronze medal position.
However, Team USA's Jordan's coaches called for an inquiry, saying the initial evaluation didn't credit Jordan with a tour jeté full—a skill she included in her trial and team finals, but did not get credit for. After her score inquiry was entered, Jordan's score was boosted by 0.1, moving her ahead of both Sabrina and Ana to secure the third-place finish.
The dramatic score change sent shock waves around the globe, especially in Romania, with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu saying on Facebook Aug. 6 that he would boycott the Closing Ceremony.
Famed Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci—who won nine medals during her Olympic career—also shared her thoughts on the matter, writing on X, formerly Twitter, Aug. 5, "I can't believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this… let's protect them #anabarbosu."
As for Ana, the 18-year-old shared her gratitude on Instagram Stories following the event, writing, "Thank you to everyone who encouraged me before, during, and after the competition."
Two days later she shared that she would be taking "a break from social media" after reiterating her thanks to supporters.
For more controversies that have occurred during the 2024 Paris Olympics so far, keep reading.
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